The Washington critic., 1887-10-31
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 81, 1887.
AN APPEAL FROM FRANCE.


nuested by the American Anarchists In
Paris TO petition the Governor of llli-
nois for executive clemency in the case
of the condemned Anarchists at Chi
cago, have transmitted TO Governor
Oglesby the following;
In the rame Of humanity, and In tho name
of the connection brtwCcu two great Rplub-
lies, the Paris Deputies, advocating the aboli
tion of political deaths, ask Tor the Hives Of
the seven men condemned 10 death at CHI
cago.
1t Is to be Inferred from the wording
of the above petition that the French
Deputies rcgard the unfortunate men
at Chicago as about to- suffer death for
the entertainment Of certain political
opinions, or at least for the commission
Of purely political ofrcnses.
1t is not so understood 10 this
country.
Political deaths" under the law are
something we know little about. The
crime In this instance was In the nature
OF conspiracy to prevent the enforce.
ment of law and endanger the public
peace. The fact that the men engaged
In 1t held political views which, from
their standpoint, warranted them In an
effort to upturn the foundations of
social order, did not constitute them
political offenders In the usual sense of
that term, or subject them to trial for
treason.
The United States is not In the habit
of putting men to death for opinion s
sake. On the other hand, there is no
government upon the face of the earth
that tolerates greater freedom of
thought or speech; but when this free
dom assumes the form of mob violence
and resorts to homicide as means Of
accomplishing Its objects, there Is none
more prompt to vindicate the majesty
of the law.
There are three grounds upon which
petitions for clemency In the case can
reasonably rest--the one, conscien-
tious disbelief In the justice or efficacy
OF capital punishment, especially where
the generalization of murder Is not
shown beyond all question; another,
the equally conscientious belief on the
part Of many people that the men
concerned in the Haymarket massacre,
by reason Of their imperfect under
standing Of the nature and workings of
American institutions, did not thor
oughly comprehend the enormity of
their oifense; and still another, that
owing to the excited condition of the
public mind at the time the ofTense was
committed and an wheming
clamor for the condign punishment OF
the criminals, there is reason TO believe
that the accused were not tried by q
wholly unprejudiced jury or before O
wholly impartial court.
Upon either or all of these ground:
the French Deputies might have based
an appeal for mercy entitled 10 some
thing more than ordinary respect
There is certainly nothing in the rela
tions between France and the United
States that calls for the extension o
mercy to violators of the law in eithe
country, nor anything In the nature o
the crime committed or the sentence
imposed that involves the expedlenc.
Of "the abolition of political deaths.
THE Republicans of Brooklyn he'll
an enthusiastic meeting Saturday nigh
which was addressed by Senate
Hiscock, Colonel Fred. Grant an
others. The chairman, In introducin
the latter, let off the following gran
display of pyrotechnics:
Fellow CITIZENS: In Introducing the nes
speaker am tempted to relate an incder
Of the late war. In the most terrific hour c
the battle of Fort Donelson General Gran
Iapplausel, then In command [appausel {
the Union forces [renewed applausel, foun
II necessary to send dispatches to variou
parts Of the field. Every one Of mis- stan on
GERS and line officers were IN active servic
in the thlckest Of the fight. He had no con
missioned officer to take these dispatches. II
looked about him, saw his little son nea
the place, called him to his aid, had hir
mount the black pony, and then, only fou
teen years of age, this son became the beare
of his fathers dispatches [applausel, and b
carried them along the line of flame lar
plausel, through the smoke of battle IRE
newed applausel and the whizzing hail @
death from post to post and from comman
to command until Victory crowned the Unio
effort, Immense cheering In this Donel
son OF 1887 the Republican patty OF the stat
OF New York, when the lad has become
man, deems him fit to be the carrier of di.
patches from Montauk Point to Lake Erl,
Applause They have him as their oand
date for Secretary OF State, Frederick
Grant. CONTINUED applause and waving
hats
If battle famed eloquence like thG
dosen't carry the Colonel safely throug
the perils of the pending campaign, Ii
the troops be called out at once an
put him through.
COLONEL FRED. GRANT, the r